Protecting-shield for contact devices.



,minivan A protegga A,shields v911.,.Qyrititt Jdevices for autoi' obi`ei tior systms'atid"the like.

In automo ile ignitionl devices and simi lar electrical equipments itlis the coiiiinon practice to provide a brush holder or contact holder,of insulating material, which extends in proximity to a contact -surfaceand has slidably mounted within ita spring pressed plunger or contactelement designed..

to bear on the contact surface and establish electrical `'connectiontherewith.. Owing 'to' the fact that these portions of -the mecha;

nism are usually exposed to grease. dirt, and 011 it vex'v commonlyoccurs that the contact holder will become bridged-'over witha layer offoreign mattei' causingr u short circuit.

Other defects commonly occurring are the accumulation of foreign matterwithin the brush holder preventino` free movement of the contact elementand similar accumula these diii'iciilties'by the provision' of aflexible insulating annular shield which may readily he inserted betweenthe' Contact.

holder and the Contact surface: forming a' light joint therewith, butloosely surround- ,ingl th brush or Contact elen'ieiit. lt is furtherroposed to eectually prevent the undcsir: lilo consequences which wouldoccur. should portions of the shield become disintegrated by the actionof the oil and fall olf to later clog: the oiling system, by providing ashield which has inei'irporated in'its structure a layer or layers offabric, by which the structure is securely bound together. l'

In the drawings is illustrated one form of ma am,

The present invention aims at obviating Eig.-Vaisjanfendigiene-1 j i y A1 Thai-numeri 1 i'nthdrii'win'gs represents the crank .easingof'theautomobile which has mounted therein' in the usual mannertlie-fly-ivheelQ, which `in the particular form of engine tb which theinvention is applied in the present instance has suitably securedtlieietofhe-permanent magnets 3 revolving in proximity to the inclosedgenerator wind- -ings 4, whichhave a contact surface 5` from which lthelcurrent iscollected'. For the latter lgnirpose this type of engine hasan Ainsulating brush holder 6 or Contact holder secured in iin-opening 7in the cra-nk case bythe screws 8L with the end ad'acent'the surface .5.`Within the contactholder 6 is a. shank of a contact element 9 havingthe head 10 -adapted to establish ,connection with the contact surface 5and t be retained in a position to establish such connection by thespring 11 embracing the shank 9. In this type of engine tliecontactholder 6 has a tubular conducting bushing 12 inserted in the bore and'loosely 'surrounding the shank 9 and s rin 11,' and provided at theouter end wit a. inding screw- 13 for connection of a suitableconductor.

In accordance with the present invention,

-of fibrous material impregnated with ilexible rubber; this fibrousmaterial desirably consisting,r of several layers of woven fabric.

The fabric may be applied in the form of.

concentric layers. but l find it advantageous to use a strip ot fabricwhich is wrapped -several times around `the inner laye; 16 in saneren 1nits application to me particular' form of engine shown and described, oreven tdi tion mechanism in general, but has a wi e field of usefulnessin connection with the electrical art andA I therefore reserve the-ri httoall a plications of the invention an to all modgcation and departuresfrom the particular-structure shown',

gfalling within the scope of the claims,

What I claim is 1. The combination with the oil reservoir, the contactsurface the reservoir, the insulating contact holder extending inproxthe contact surface wlthln the reservoir, the

insulating contact holder extendin in proximity to said contact surface,an the contact element mounted in said contact holder, of the resilientinsulatin annulus extending between said contact hol er and said Contactsurface and surroundin the portions of said contact element ad]aeentsaid contact surface.

In testimony whereof -I aiix my signature.

CLEMENT-F. HAUSMAN.

